“Poorer working families who get housing and council tax benefits will not get all of the money in their pocket – because as their income goes up, their benefits will go down.”

There was also a pledge by the government to take up East Anglian MP Ben Gummer’s plans for every income-tax payer to be sent personal statements detailing where their money is being spent.

About 20 million income-tax payers should receive the statements in 2014 and a further nine million should receive them in future years.

“The plan to provide people with an annual statement detailing where their tax payments are being used is a welcome move for consumers, both in terms of educating them and providing them with some perspective on tax,” said Ms Barrett.

It’s Christmas time. We know this by the light-adorned streets, the mobility hazard posed by boxes of Quality Street, Roses and Celebrations in every supermarket’s entrance and, of course, the incessant radio-plays of Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You.